Three Kisses
by Entwife Incognito
Summary: Mistletoe series, #2. Celebrating New Year, Jane teaches Lisbon to use her present. (AU), still without a name. They spend the day outside, New Year's Eve in the Airstream. (I don't know all the laws in Texas. Please forgive, if in error!) A sequel to 'Winter Fruit,' but fine as a stand-alone. One-shot fluff. A very mild "T," I think. Disclaimer: I own nothing about The Mentalist.


**_A/N Jane's Airstream in this story is a trailer, pulled by a truck, that he has placed in a motor home park overlooking Lake Travis. We have since learned that Jane has actually chosen a 1979 Airstream excella motor home, the kind he can drive like a bus. Please allow for a little license here in me guessing wrong! Thank you._**"What are you doing New Year's?"

Lisbon hummed the rest of the line to the old song. "Day or Eve?"

"Eve, of course."

"Nothing. Er, well my usual . . . drink champagne and watch New Year's on television. I never do make it to see the ball drop, though . . . "

"You do know you're not supposed to drink the champagne until it _is _the new year? What happens? Too drunk? Pass out?"

"No!" She made a noise designed to shame children. "I get two glasses into the bottle, and go to sleep. When I wake up on the couch to go to bed, it's the new year. Happy New Year! If I didn't open the bottle before midnight, I wouldn't drink any champagne at all."

"Lisbon! That sounds awful!"

"Suits me fine. Sometimes I go to a party. But only if I have to."

"Well, it's still awful. But I was really thinking about New Year's Eve _day."_

"You said we could go out on my boat, now that I have my license."

"Yes! That's what I was getting at! Let's take your boat out and I'll give you a lesson. You just passed the written part, Lisbon. You need to practice."

"Well, I guess I know that, Jane." She stopped what she was fiddling with on her desk. "And I want to go out. The weather's supposed to be nice. Not too windy." Lifting her head, she smiled at him. "Have I told you how much I love my boat, Jane?"

"Several times. But I love to hear it. You have to name her, you know. It's bad luck if you don't."

"You don't believe in luck."

"Oh, yes I do! I just try not to rely on it. It's magic I don't believe in. But . . . call it tradition."

Lisbon smiled at him, and winked to let him know she had been teasing. "Of course I'm going to name my boat! I just don't know what."

"You'll think of something. Come out to the Airstream in the morning, as soon as you get up!"

"Why? We have all day. And your Airstream is almost on the lake. I love looking over your bluff and seeing Lake Travis blinking in the sun."

"It is beautiful. Almost makes you spout poetry." He felt her sharp glance and turned his eyes up and away innocently with a quiet, distracted whistle, then changed the subject. "We can spend the day on the water. Pack a lunch. Putter around and go inland to explore wherever we see something interesting."

"Oh. My. God. Jane, is this some kind of Boy Scout fantasy?" She laughed. The idea of him in short pants and a little uniform with a cap tickled her imagination. She bet his butt would look cute in those! "I hadn't thought of using the boat for that! It sounds fun!"

"A whole new world Lisbon."

New Year's Eve morning was sunny and warm, even for winter in Texas. Lisbon arrived at the Airstream about nine-thirty in the morning. Jane had packed their lunch. They loaded their things in the car, drove to the marina and loaded their things in the boat. Lisbon taxied them to the marina's gas pumps under Jane's direction and they filled the boat's tank. Lisbon was a bit clumsy with it, especially getting on and off the boat, but being able to use a card to pay at the pump made everything pretty easy. Lisbon began to get an idea that having fun on her boat also involved a substantial amount of work.

Lisbon had woven her hair into one fat braid and Jane enjoyed watching it swing to and fro across her back. Her face was a fascinating pattern of freckles over a healthy sun-blush set off by a ball cap and sunglasses. He could barely take his eyes from her.

Taking full advantage of her own sunglasses, Lisbon felt free to watch Jane. He really was handsome in jeans and a tee shirt, a riot of blond curls exploding out of his ball cap. She wished she could see his eyes behind his sunglasses. Was he watching her, too?

By the end of the day, Lisbon was a comfortable boatsman. They got wet a few times, pulling onto an interesting beach area rather than a pier, wading through the shallow with their shoes hanging around their necks by the joined shoestrings. Lisbon learned how to use the anchor. The water was cold, but they dried quickly in the sun.

She slipped on one of these beaches and landed bottom-first in a large patch of gooey mud. There wasn't a lot they could do about it until the mud dried, so they went on a little hike to speed that process, Jane happy to dust her butt afterwards. Lisbon squawked because he was hitting her too hard, complaining that he had turned it into a spanking. To any observer, that's what it looked like. He held her arm as she circled him, angling her hips away to no avail as he kept swatting. Using her authoritative, damnit-Jane voice to try and make him stop, she started to giggle and before it was over, they were both laughing hysterically.

Lunch was late, but neither was in a hurry and they wolfed it down enthusiastically on a blanket on the ground. Jane had a small collection of driftwood and pretty stones. Lisbon let him give her one with a little swirly fossil in the worn shiny surface. "You have to have a souvenir of your first day with your boat, Lisbon."

By the time they dragged themselves home, unloading the boat, loading the car and unloading the car, it was time to sit down and relax.

"Beer!" Lisbon called out, rubbing the back of her neck.

Jane brought two frosty ones from his refrigerator and sat near her on the small couch. "I've got a couple of steaks in there. You want to grill tonight?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm starving. A nice pink steak would be perfect! Crunchy-crisp on the outside, Jane. Mmmmmmm."

Lisbon kept rubbing her neck. "My neck hurts!"

"Oh! Did you strain it from steering so long?"

"No, I mean it hurts. The skin hurts or something."

"Let me look." He moved her fat braid out of the way and saw bright red on either side where it had lain on her neck.

"Oooohhhhh. You've got a bad case of sailor's neck, there! That's going to hurt."

"It already does! It stings, and it's hot!"

He pressed a finger to compare the white mark it left to the color of her skin. "Sunburn, Lisbon. Bad."

"Ow! I didn't put any block there."

"Lie on your stomach. I'll bring you an ice pack."

At first the ice was a shock to her hot skin and she spent considerable time making noise about that, kicking her feet on the sofa cushion to distract from the overpowering sensation.

"Drat, woman! It's going to be uncomfortable for a good while. Stop making all this racket!"

She tried to be quieter by just moaning. When she started complaining her neck was numb, Jane sighed, applied a vinegar and water compress and then slathered her with aloe. He threw in a shoulder massage that made her yawn.

Jane surveyed the rest of her. Pale pink on every exposed part of her spoke to her day in the sun, even with block. It made her freckles really stand out and they were everywhere, beautiful and fascinating. With her braid and her cap, she looked about sixteen years old. Prone on the couch, in her jeans with the mud-stained dusted butt, tee shirt, sneakers and sunburned neck, she looked about twelve.

"Here."

"What's that?"

"Aspirin. Wash it down with your beer. It will help with the pain."

Lisbon giggled, a little loopy from the effects of her strenuous day, the sunburn treatment and half a bottle of beer. "Won't the beer be enough?"

"The way it affects you, it might," he chuckled. "But take the aspirin, just to be sure. I'm going to cook the steaks. Do you think you could manage to microwave a couple of potatoes? I've got a salad from the deli counter in the fridge."

Lisbon sat up, stretching and yawning, then rolled her eyes. "Yes. I can do the potatoes."

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

When he went out to the grill, she stuck her tongue out at his back.

When Jane came in with their steaks, Lisbon had set the table. They shared a great meal, wolfing it down again with a second bottle of beer. It was eleven o'clock when they finished cleaning up and they were both tired.

"Only an hour until 2014, Jane. Can you make it?"

"I guess so. Let me put the champagne on ice."

"You have champagne?"

"Yes. Real champagne. From France." He said it in a hillbilly accent and Lisbon giggled.

Lisbon started thinking about midnight. Jane would surely want a kiss. And so did she! But she wanted one now.

"Jane?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Do you want a New Year's present from me?"

She had his full attention. "I love presents, Lisbon."

Opening her purse, she brought out the stocking Jane had given her for Christmas. It still had the mistletoe in it. She put it in his hand. "It's in there, if you want it. You know what to do." She watched him turn pink and smile with pleasure as his long fingers reached into the little stocking and drew out the mistletoe. He moved closer and held it over his head.

Lisbon smiled and brought her face to his, closing her eyes, and Jane dropped the stocking into her lap as she reached for him. The kiss was long and sweet, still chaste but full of heat and promise. She pulled gently away and looked at him. Jane breathed out slowly, smiling, and she watched as his eyes opened, dreamy and full.

"My favorite present. Thank you."

When Jane gave her back the mistletoe, she put it in the stocking and, smiling shyly, she slid it into her pocket. It might come in handy for later!

Jane poured champagne and they toasted the new year, watching the Times Square ball drop on television. They kissed again, this time in each others' arms in a loose embrace. After another glass of champagne, Lisbon knew she would not be driving home, and that if she tried to, Jane would stop her. And he would be right. This was awkward. Maybe she should have gone home after dinner.

"You'll stay the night." It wasn't a question.

"That's really not a good idea."

"It's the only idea. Do I have to take your car keys?"

She shook her head. "It's just that . . . " Lisbon didn't know how to continue without embarrassing them both.

Jane had no such sensibility. "What? I can't trust you to stay in your own bed?"

Blushing furiously, she narrowed her eyes and gave him a cross look.

"Ooooooh. I see how it is."

"Stop it. You do not."

"Well, Lisbon, if you can get your mind out of the gutter for a minute, I'll show you how to make the couch into a bed. Where you may sleep. Alone."

"Or, if you want the bed, I'll make up the couch for myself tonight."

"No! I don't want to take your bed!" Lie in his scent all night? She'd go crazy! "The couch will be fine."

"Here's a flashlight, in case you have to get up in the night."

"What am I, five years old and afraid of the dark?"

"Just take it. In case you get disoriented and don't know where you are when you first wake up."

She took the flashlight, seeing the sense of it and his thoughtfulness. "Oh," she said meekly. "That will probably be very helpful. Thank you."

When Jane had made up the bed, he started to kiss her forehead, but she looked up sharply at him and he smiled at her instead. "Good night," little bird.

"Night." Lisbon crawled into her bed, listened to Jane moving around for a few minutes in his bedroom at the back of the trailer and fell asleep.

She woke to him rustling around in the kitchen area, making coffee and tea. She got up and folded the bedding, then re-made the bed into a couch, reversing what she had seen Jane do the night before. They met at the table with their respective morning brews.

"How was the couch?"

"Great. Out like a light. How'd you sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep a wink."

"No? Why?"

"You put ideas in my head. I wanted you in there with me."

"Jane! Those weren't my ideas. They were yours." She took a sip of her coffee, hoping to hide her blush. "Anyway, you could censor yourself a little bit for decorum's sake."

"Ah. Great minds, then."

"We weren't thinking alike."

"If you say so. And believe me, I'm censoring myself."

Jane asked if she wanted to go for breakfast, but Lisbon declined. She was ready to get home and shower and just kick back. "But this was the best new year's, Jane, really. I enjoyed it so much. And thanks for teaching me about my boat and tending my sunburn and letting me sleep on your couch, and the champagne and lunch on the lake and feeding me dinner—everything! It was a wonderful day and a great night."

Jane brushed back a few strands that had escaped her wayward braid. "You're such a lovely little bird . . . I'd look after you anytime." He caught her eyes and she didn't look away. He'd never looked so deeply into her, falling into a well of dreams.

Jane's open gaze warmed Lisbon, made her feel safe and even loved. She wanted another kiss. "I still have a present in my pocket." She held the little Christmas stocking and carefully eased the mistletoe out. "I don't know whose turn it is to hold it."

Jane looked at it skeptically, shaking his head. "I don't know. I think that only works at Christmas. It's the new year, now. It won't work again until next Christmas. And it will be dried up and dead by then."

"Well, isn't there a grace period?"

"I don't think so," he said sadly.

"What'll we do?"

"Let's just steal one. From now on we'll take them whenever we like and we just won't tell Christmas."

Smiling at each other, they kissed in the morning sun of the new year, so many kisses, light and sweet, until finally they let each other go.

"How many kisses do we owe Christmas?" asked Jane.

"Oh, I think they were so close together, they only count as one."

"We'll have to be sneakier."

Lisbon looked at the little stocking and the mistletoe in her hand. "I know what I'm going to name my boat, Jane."

He looked at her expectantly.

"The Mistletoe." Looking up, she found Jane already smiling at her. "She'll be The Mistletoe," she said very softly.

With a final hug, Lisbon got in her car, thinking about the last week. This Christmas and New Year's had been the best in her whole life. And Patrick Jane had made it that way, for her.


End file.
